Conklin Hurles Softball to Split with Limestone; Lady Falcons Open Up Tournament Play Friday as #7 Seed

MISENHEIMER, N.C. – Pfeiffer University and Limestone College split the final Conference Carolinas softball doubleheader of the season on Tuesday afternoon at N.E. Lefko Field. The Lady Saints took a 3-1, eight-inning win in the opener while the Lady Falcons claimed a 5-0 shutout victory in the nightcap. Limestone, entering this weekend’s conference tournament as the top seed, finishes 37-20 overall, 16-4 in league play. Pfeiffer, seeded seventh for the weekend, concludes at 19-27, 9-11.

GAME ONE: Limestone 3, Pfeiffer 1 (8)

Both sides had a couple of early chances in game one, but needed one extra inning to settle things out. Kirstyn Burleson (Candler, NC) started the inning at second base and scored the first run on a throwing error towards third. Hannah Mills (Richmond, VA) and Lauren Myers (Blackstone, VA) followed with RBI-singles later in the inning, a part of a four-hit frame, for a three-run lead.

Pfeiffer tried to battle back in the home half of the eighth as a RBI-single by Sam Taylor (Surrey, British Columbia) plated Melanie Conklin (Wellington, OH) from second. Game one hurler Emily Wallace (Winchester, KY) then settled down to get a line drive and pair of strikeouts to end the contest.

Wallace went the distance allowing the one unearned run on five hits with five strikeouts. Myers led the Lady Saints with a pair of hits at the plate. For Pfeiffer, Taylor had a 2-for-3 game one with a RBI in the loss.

GAME TWO: Pfeiffer 5, Limestone 0

Conklin took the circle in game two for the Lady Falcons firing off a two-hit shutout in the 5-0 win. Conklin fanned 10 Lady Saints in the victory.

Pfeiffer backed up their right-hander with two in the fourth on a RBI-double from Heather Nobles (Angier, NC) and run-scoring single to center by Mariah Chalk (Hickory, NC). Adding three in the sixth, Kylee Nichols (McMinville, OR) registered the only RBI in the frame as Pfeiffer took advantage of two Limestone errors.

Nichols went 3-for-4 with the run batted in to lead the hosts in game two while Nobles followed closely behind going 2-for-3 with a RBI and two runs scored. Jenna Guse (Pearland, TX) and Jordan Smith (Goose Creek, SC) had the only hits for the visitors in game two.